Towel cabinet



March 4, 1930. 'J: F CLOVER 1,749,628

T owEL CABINET Filed Jan. 25, 1929 n W a Jbbw E. 670067,

o W a Patented Mar. 4, 1930 JOHN B. CLOVER, OF ENID, OKLAHOMA TOWEL CABINET Applieation filed. January 23, 1929. Serial No. 334,470.

This invention relates to an improved towel cabinet of thetype embodying an upper compartment in which the unused roll of toweling is mounted for rotation, a lower receiving compartment into which the used or soiled portion of the towel is fed for subse quent removal, and a novel feed roller assembly which functions to unwind the clean portion of the towel from the roll, convert it into a depending loop" for convenient use, and feed the used portion into said receiving compartment.

The principal novelty is predicated upon the distinctive feed roller assembly, which is characterized by a relatively fixed and positive operating roller, and a pair of complemental loop-forming and feeding rollers, the surfaces of all of said rollers being corrugated to provide inter-meshing ribs which serve to producemore dependable and effective utilization of the towel.

My principal aim is to generally improve upon structures of this class by producing a more effective friction drive of the towel in 'iorder to provide a portion for immediate use and to make provision for concealed reception of the soiled wet end of the towel.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a construction wherein the fixed driving roller may be manually rotated, and complemental rollers associated therewith for positive driving, or bodily removed from the cabinet to facilitate threading of the free end por tion of the towel therebetween.

3573 Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved cabinet with a portion broken away to disclose one of the feeding rollers.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the structure showing the complete associa- 4 tion of details. I

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately upon the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, the reference character 4 designates generally a cabinet. This is constructed to provide an upper compartment 5 for containing the roll of clean toweling generally designated by the reference character 6. As is customary this roll is provided with a shaft, whose end portions are fitted into the horizontal portions of the groove 7 and then dropped into the depending inner end portions, which function as bearings therefor. A hinged door or suitable closure 8 is provided for the upper compartment. The lower portion of the cabinet is constructed to provide a receptacle as at 9 for reception of the used or soiled end portion of the towel in a manner clearly shown in Figure 2. That portion of the cabinet between the two compartments is made of open construction to allow for passage of the towel.

As before intimated, the principal novelty is predicated upon the improved feed roller assembly. This comprises a lower fixedly mounted roller 10, one end of the shaft of which extends through an opening in the side wall of the cabinet to accommodate a hand crank 11. In one side of the interior of the cabinet, above the fixed roller 10, is a substantially L-shaped depression indicated by the reference character 12 in Figure 3. Opposite this is a substantially L-shaped slot 13. This depression and slot serve to accommodate a complemental pair of relatively movable feeding rollers ld and 15 respectively. These rollers 14f and 15 are disposed in vertical alinement with each other and when in operative position have their pintles located in the vertically extending portions of the depression and slot respectively. The principal feature of distinction to be noted in this roller assembly is that all of the rollers 10, 14; and 15 have their peripheral surfaces corrugated to provide inter-meshing longitudinal ribs. The purpose of this arrangement is, obviously, to obtain a more positive feeding action of the towel and to guard against accidental slippage, and to maintain a substantially uniform hand wiping loop.

In practice the door 8 of the upper compartment 5 is opened and a roll of clean toweling 6 placed in position as shown in Figure 2. It is obvious that the projecting ends of the shaft are simply passed through the grooves 7 and dropped into the bearing at the inner ends of these grooves. Then the end portion 16 is threaded between the trio of rollers in the feed roller assembly. This may be done with the two rollers 14 in place, if desired, by simply lifting the roller 15 up above the roller 14 and threading the towel end therebetween as at 17. Then the loop 18 is made in an obvious manner and the free end portion 19 is brought between the rolls 10 and 14 as at 20 and dropped down into the receiving compartment 9. It is not at all necessary, however, to leave the rollers 14 and 15 in place, since the loop 18 maybe readily made and the end portion passed over the roller 10 and dropped down into the receptacle 9. Then the roller 14 may be inserted endwise through the edge portion of the loop and placed in position, and finally the roller 15 may be placed in position; It will be understood then that there are several ways in which the loop may be made and the towel end'threaded between the corrugated feed rollers. Irrespective of the method of I threading the towel, the important thing to notice is the manner in which the ribbed surfaces of the feed rollers positively engage the towel and become inter-meshed with each other for simultaneous rotation, as well as simultaneous movement of the towel.

It has been found desirable to employ a hand crank for convenient manipulation of the feed roller assembly, since in the hands of unreliable persons, an untidy and uncle: sirable size of loop 18 may be formed. However, it is possible to simply pull down on the outer stretch of the loop in order to unwind the towel from the roll 6, to turn all of the rollers 10, 14 and 15 and to thereby accomplish the same result as is accomplished when the hand crank is rotated. In practice it may be desirable to employ a pawl and ratchet mechanism in association with a hand crank to prevent retrograde rotation. This is regarded as within the scope of the invention.

It is evident that an invention of this class is particularly adaptable for use in hotels, business offices and similar places where it is not expedient to supply each individual with a separate towel, and the principal feature is to provide a towel cabinet adapted to contain a long strip of toweling and to expose successively different portions of the toweling in such a manner as to provide a clean loop for individual use, and to simultaneously withdrawthe soiled end portion of the towel into. the concealed receiving-compartment. Hence after the towel is completely used it may be removed from the latter compartment and a clean towel put in the upper compartment.

It is believed that by carefully considering the description in connection with the drawing, a clear understanding of the invention will be had. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the,

field of the invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice if desired.

I claim:

In a towel cabinet structure of the class described, a cabinet comprising an upper compartment adapted to contain a roll of unused toweling, and a lower receiving compartment adapted to receive and conceal the used end portion of the toweling, and a feed roller assembly in said cabinet and associated with" said compartments and comprising a relatively fixed andpositive corrugated operating roller, and a pair of complemental corrugated loop-forming rollers between which the toweling is adapted to be fed, all of said rollers being operatively connected together for simultaneous and positive rotation, whereby to'unwind the toweling from the supply roll, to form and maintain a substantially uniform loop, and to feed the used end portion of the towel into the receiving compartment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN R. CLOVER. 

